28 January 2014 - Sadly Pete Seeger passed away yesterday at the age of 94. I asked Bruce Cockburn to say a few words that we could post both here and on his Facebook page.

Bruce and Pete's path's kept on crossing at certain times over the past many years. Bruce address's some of those moments below but there were several more including having the opportunity to perform at Pete's Clearwater Festival as well as the celebration of Pete's 85th birthday and his work at Singout Magazine at a concert held at the Keswick Theatre in Philadelphia.

For me it was always a great thrill to be anywhere near Pete Seeger. All I can say is that he should be on Mount Rushmore.

I've also put up a wonderful performance from Pete's 90th birthday party at Madison Square Gardens. It's the McGarrigle family and Bruce doing "Dink's Song (Fare Thee Well) during that show.

Here's Bruce's quote:
"The last time I saw Pete Seeger was in December of 2012, when we both performed in New York at a benefit in aid of freeing US political prisoner Leonard Peltier. Although age had affected his voice, he was a fountain of good energy, as he had been all his life. The first time I heard of Pete was when my Grade 3 teacher held him up as a heroic example of moral courage, following his refusal to testify before McCarthy's House UnAmerican Activities Committee. In between, he was an inspiring element of the folk music scene, and a model of how to be a responsible citizen of the planet we all share. I was lucky enough to share a stage with him on several occasions, including, among others, opening for him at a show in Montreal decades ago, protesting at the gates of Ft Bragg in Georgia against the continued existence of the notorious School of the Americas, and his monumental ninetieth birthday bash at Madison Square Gardens. He was a pro. He will be missed."

This page is part of The Cockburn Project, a unique website that exists to document the work of Canadian singer-songwriter and musician Bruce Cockburn. The Project archives self-commentary by Cockburn on his songs and music, and supplements this core part of the website with news, tour dates, and other current information.